Legging having removable granular weight filled bags



Feb. 11, 1969 w. N. MONTOUR ETAL LEGGING HAVING REMOVABLE GRANULAR WEIGHT FILLED BAGS Filed on. 7. 1965 INVENTCR.

WILFRED IN/MONT UR FREIPYERICK MONT UR United States Patent 3,427,020 LEGGING HAVING REMOVABLE GRANULAR WEIGHT FILLED BAGS Wilfred N. Montour and Frederick Montour, both of 424 Benjamin, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48104 Filed Oct. 7, 1965, Ser. No. 493,811 US. Cl. 27257 6 Claims Int. Cl. A63b 23/ 04; A431) 23/02 The present invention relates to devices for physical training purposes and more particularly, but not exclusively, for use as a weighted ankle band.

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in the use of training weights, such as wrist, belt, and ankle weights, as well as weighted vests, for the purpose of strengthening muscles, improving endurance and coordination, increasing the spring in the legs of athletes, and the like. When using training weights of this character, it is found that some degree of care must be taken, otherwise the training weights may bruise or injure the wearer to the extent that his entire training or conditioning program is set back. This particularly is true when using ankle weights. The latter are most effective when fitted around the ankle of the wearer so as to be as far down on the leg as is possible, and when so used, they more closely overlie this joint than is the case with the other training weights which may be fitted to other parts of the body. Also, because of the considerable movement that occurs at the ankle when running or carrying on similar exercises, this joint is more apt to be injured by a training weight that is improperly fitted than is the case with training weights that fit on other parts of the body. Likewise, an improperly fitted training weight will discourage its use because of the discomfort to the wearer.

Not only is it necessary and desirable that the training weights properly fit the ankle of the wearer, but on frequent occasions it is desirable to carry on training programs which require weights of different magnitude to be worn. Thus, it may be desired to practice long distance running with weights that are heavier than those that would be used when practicing sprints. For example, an athlete may desire to run in practice a distance of one mile with weights that are relatively heavy, and upon completing this running, to continue to practice short sprints with weights that are relatively lighter. Thus, it is desirable that the training devices be readily adapted for use under varying situations such as this, and also, that the training devices be readily interchangeable among several athletes so that a greater utility can be made of the equipment when used in high schools, colleges, and the like, where physical fitness programs are being practiced.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide devices for physical training purposes which are constructed and arranged so that the effective weight of the training device can be varied optionally in accordance with the desires of the wearer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved ankle weight of the foregoing character which is constructed and arranged so that it can be attached in an optimum manner to the leg of a person undergoing physical training, and which will provide a comfortable fit for the wearer and which will avoid injury to the wearer when in use.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a device for physical training purposes of the foregoing character which is constructed and arranged to have pockets in which flexible weights may be inserted for optionally changing the weight of the training device.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this 'ice specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an extended elevational view of a Weighted ankle band or legging embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the pockets filled with weights;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view to FIG. 2, but with certain weights removed from open pockets of the ankle band;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view showing one end of the ankle band;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing the weighted ankle band of FIG. 1 fastened to the foot of a wearer; and

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of a flexible bag containing weights for insertion into the open pockets of the ankle band shown in FIG. 1.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention will be described in greater detail. The weighted ankle band or flexible spat-shaped legging 10 is preferably formed by sewing together sheets of soft self-sustaining material 12 and 14, such as leather, or the like, into the general shape of a spat which can be secured over the foot and ankle of the wearer. The two sheets of material 12 and 14 are sewed together to provide a plurality of vertically disposed pockets 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26. It will be observed that pockets 16, 18 and 20 are disposed on one side of the spat'shaped legging 10, and the pockets 22, 24 and 26 are disposed on the other side of the legging 10.

Referring to FIG. 1 it can be seen that the pockets 16 and 20 on the left side of the legging 10 are sewed closed, and the pocket 18 is closed at the bottom but is open at the top. Similarly, the pockets 22 and 26 on the right side of the legging 10 are sewed closed, and the pocket 24 is left open at the top. The preferred arrangement of the stitching for forming these pockets can be seen by the dotted lines 28.

The closed pockets 16, 20, 22 and 26 are filled with any suitable fluid material before being sewed closed. A granular material, such as small lead shot or the like may be used for this purpose. Normally, the shot 30 will substantially completely fill the closed pockets so as to form columnar structures within the legging which aid in making the legging a somewhat self-sustaining structure, but flexible so as to avoid creating hard pressure points on the leg of the wearer.

The pockets 18 and 24 are normally left open, and each is adapted to receive a flexible bag 32 which normally will be made of the same material as the sheets 12 and 14, and the bag 32 can be sewed closed, as shown by the line 33, confining therein a fluid material such as that which is used in the closed pockets. The fluid material 34 normally will be selected so that the flexible bag 32 will have a weight of a desired amount, enabling the wearer of the legging 10 to add or subtract this fixed amount of weight from the legging when he is wearing the latter. Normally, the fluid material 34 within the bag 32 will be selected from material such as lead shot and the like. However, other granular metals may be used so as to make available a plurality of different bags of the same size but of different weights.

In forming the pockets 20 and 22, the lower adjacent corners of the pockets are in effect eliminated so as to provide a triangular shaped smooth s'unface at 35 which is adapted to fit over the upper end of the heel and the lower end of the Achilles tendon. This feature also serves to avoid injury to the user of the legging 10.

The legging can be attached to the foot and ankle of the wearer by suitable means and preferably this is accomplished by inserting eyelets 36 along the opposite ends of the legging and a suitable lace 38 can be fitted through the eyelets for securing the legging snugly to the foot of the wearer. It is also desirable to have a strap 40 attached to the lower edges of the opposite sides of the legging 10 for fitting under the instep of the wearer as shown in FIG. 5. The strap 40 is made of elastic material to help resiliently hold the legging snugly in place. Also sewed to the one elge of the legging is the tongue 42 which is adapted to span the space between the abutting edges of the legging when fitted on the wearer so as to protect the wearer from abrasions that might occur from the lace 38 when the legging is secured on his foot. When secured in this manner the center of gravity of the legging will be relatively low, thereby giving best results in use.

From the foregoing description, it can be understood that the described embodiment can be fitted easily and quickly to the foot of a wearer, and neither the fastening means nor the weights will create local or concentrated pressure points on the foot of the wearer. Also, the wearer can readily and quickly vary the effective weight of the legging merely by removing from the legging the flexible bags 32, or if such bags are not being used, and greater effective weight is desired, they can be inserted into the pockets 18 and 24. Still further, the effective weights of the bags 32 can be varied to any desired extent merely by employing different materials within the bags. Thus, with any given legging, a series of different bags 32 may be employed, each bag having a different effective weight. By virtue of this arrangement, an athlete can start a training program using lesser weights and gradually build up to perform the same physical feats using leggings of substantially greater weight.

It will also be understood that the legging 10 can readily be interchanged among any one of a group of athletes and the effective weights can easily be altered for each particular athlete. Thus, an athlete can readily employ heavier weights while carrying on a particular exercise, after which he can change the effective weights without removing the legging merely by removing or inserting the weights 32. The legging 10 is also constructed and arranged so that it will not injure the wearer in any way should the weights 32 inadvertently slide out of the pockets 18 or 24 in use. In view of the fact that the bags 32 are flexible, they will not injure the athlete as might be the case if rigid bars were used.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A weighted flexible spat-shaped legging for physical training purposes comprising a flexible material sewed to provide on each side closed pockets vertically disposed in columnar arrangement over the instep and adjacent to the heel thereof, each of said closed pockets containing granular weights substantially filling such closed pockets, vertically disposed pockets open at the top on each side between the closed pockets, and a removable closed flexible bag of columnar shape fitted into and filling each of the open pockets, each such bag being filled with granular weights.

2. A weighted flexible spat'shaped legging according to claim 1, wherein said flexible material comprises two strips sewed together entirely across the bottom edge and upwardly to the top edge at the remote ends, the top edge of said strips being sewed together only at the upper ends of said closed pockets, the unsewed portion of the upper edge defining the open ends of said open pockets.

3. A weighted flexible spat-shaped legging as claimed in claim 2, wherein lace means are provided for securing the legging over the instep of the wearer.

4. A weighted flexible spat-shaped legging as claimed in claim 3, wherein a tongue is secured to one side of the legging and is adapted to extend under the lace means and a portion of the other side of the legging.

5. A weighted flexible spat-shaped legging as claimed in claim 2, wherein an elastic strap is attached to the lower portions of each side for fitting under the instep of the wearer.

6. A weighted flexible spat-shaped legging as claimed in claim 2, wherein said closed pockets adjacent to the heel of the legging are shaped to define therebetween a triangular surface free of granular weights for resting against the heel and Achilles tendon of the wearer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,332 6/1917 Collis 128166 1,351,248 8/1920 Hill 128-166 1,729,209 9/1929 Curtice 272--57 2,241,833 5/1941 Waller 272-57 3,124,353 3/1964 Sharkey 272 3,278,184 10/1966 Rosenbaum 27257 3,298,689 1/ 1967 Santora 273-54 3,306,610 2/1967 Biggs et al 27257 FOREIGN PATENTS 572 1890 Great Britain. 504,276 7/ 1939 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES United States Patent Quarterly, year 1964, volume 141, pp. 827-829, In re Tarbox.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

ARNOLD W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 36-2.5 

1. A WEIGHTED FLEXIBLE SPAT-SHAPED LEGGING FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING PURPOSES COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE MATERIAL SEWED TO PROVIDE ON EACH SIDE CLOSED POCKETS VERTICALLY DISPOSED IN COLUMNAR ARRANGEMENT OVER THE INSTEP AND ADJACENT TO THE HEEL THEREOF, EACH OF SAID CLOSED POCKETS CONTAINING GRANULAR WEIGHTS SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SUCH CLOSED POCKETS, VERTICALLY DISPOSED POCKETS OPEN AT THE TOP ON EACH SIDE BETWEEN THE CLOSED POCKETS, AND A REMOVALBE CLOSED FLEXIBLE BAG OF COLUMNAR SHAPE FITTED INTO AND FILLING EACH OF THE OPEN POCKETS, EACH SUCH BAG BEING FILLED WITH GRANULAR WEIGHTS. 